Month: February 2014

Southwest Florida area Sweetbay Supermarkets will close at the end of March as they transition into Winn-Dixie stores, local employees are reporting.

Jacksonville-based Bi-Lo Holdings purchased the Tampa Bay-based Sweetbay chain and two other brands from Sweetbay”s parent, Belgium-based Delhaize Group in May 2013. The $265 million deal included 72 Sweetbay stores in Florida and the leases for 10 Sweetbay stores that were closed before the sale.

This week, both grocery companies announced that they received approval to move forward with the sale from the Federal Trade Commission. The order will be subject to final approval by the FTC at the end of March, after a 30-day comment period.Local employees say Sweetbay stores will close on March 22 for 6-7 days as they transition into Winn-Dixie stores. That date is subject to change, as it falls before the official approval date set by the FTC.

Sweetbay closed 33 stores a year ago, or 30 percent of its locations in Florida, including four in Sarasota and Manatee counties. They will remain closed. Ten Sweetbay stores remain open in Southwest Florida.

Sweetbay Supermarkets began as a conversion of the former Kash N’ Karry in 2004. Now it will follow in its predecessor’s footsteps as an extinct grocery store brand in Florida.

Remaining Sweetbay Supermarkets expected to transition into Winn-Dixie stores at the end of March:

Sarasota County:

1325 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

4230 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota

2881 Clark Road, Sarasota

458 U.S. 41, Venice

1254 Jacaranda Blvd., Venice

Manatee County

5802 14th St. W., Bradenton

2501 Cortez Road W., Bradenton

5805 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

515 Seventh St. W., Palmetto

Charlotte County

1951 S. McCall Road, Englewood

Photo by Chip Litherland, Herald-Tribune staff

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Shoe store chain, Foot Locker Inc., is the latest retailer to commit to opening inside the Mall at University Town Center, a 880,000-square-foot mall under construction at University Parkway and Interstate 75, building permits reveal.

The chain store will open its only store in Sarasota inside the new mall, which is scheduled to make its debut in October. Foot Locker joins a mix of other tenants, like anchors Macy’s, Dillards and Saks Fifth Avenue, and other stores like American Eagle Outfitters, Apple and H&M at the mall.

Retail sales at chain stores across the county dipped slightly in mid-February, as most consumers took advantage of a break in this season’s cold snap and spent more time outside rather than in stores.

Retail sales were down 0.6 percent for the week ending Feb. 22, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. On a year-over-year basis, sales slowed to 1.4 percent up over the same week in 2013.

“Temperatures turned warmer from coast to coast over the past week, but sales remained subdued as consumers enjoyed outside activities rather than shopping,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. “Despite the broad based softness, some segments—such as wholesale clubs, specialty retail and furniture seemed to get a lift over the past week.”

ICSC researchers forecast that February sales will increase by 3 to 3.5 percent. Weather patterns will continue to impact sales.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Fit2Run, a running merchandise retail chain, will open a new location on Main Street in downtown Sarasota.

The running store will take over the former Patrick’s 1481 restaurant space at 1400 Main St., which most recently housed the Floribbean Restaurant. The Floribbean closed in May.

The building was bought by Christopher J. Brown, a businessman from Osprey, for $2.65 million last year, records show. The sale officially ended plans by the former owner to revamp the site into an 18-story hotel.

The two-story, 22,325-square-foot Fit2Run storefront is expected to open in June.

Fit2Run sells work out merchandise like shoes, apparel and accessories. The chain operates 10 stores in Florida, including a store off University Parkway near Interstate 75.

The retail company, known as “the runner’s superstore,” was recently recognized as one of the 50 best running stores in America by trade publications, Running Insight and Competitor Magazine.

Photo courtesy of Fit2Run

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Sports Authority will open a new store in Pelican Plaza near Sarasota Square mall this fall.

Pelican Plaza, a Benderson Development-owned center is currently undergoing renovations. The mostly vacant center has struggled since its former anchor, Linens ‘n Things, closed in 2008 following a bankruptcy filing by its parent company. Former tenants included a Plato’s Closet and 107,000-square-foot Bealls Outlet store, which closed in late 2013 before renovations began.

The Manatee County-based company, paid $4 million for the 29-year-old strip center at U.S. 41 and Vamo Road in 2012.

Sports Authority will be the plaza’s largest tenant at just over 37,000-square-feet, said Mark Chait, Benderson Development’s executive director of leasing for the Southeast.

Building renovations are expected to be finished by the end of summer, Chait said. This is the fifth Sports Authority store to open in the Southwest Florida region, including one store in another Benderson Development-owned plaza on University Parkway.

Photo by Elaine Litherland, Herald-Tribune staff.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Sports Page Bar & Grille has reopened in Sarasota under new ownership.

A former bartender at the original Sports Page & Grille, which was open on Main Street for 25 years, opened it next to North Bridge Tavern on Siesta Drive. The owner received permission from Kenny Barr and Robert Richards, the Sports Page bar and restaurant’s original owners, to use the Sports Page name and menu.

“We hoped to reopen the bar downtown but the city gave us too many problems,” Barr said. “It was obvious they didn’t want us downtown anymore.”

The new Sports Page is now open at 2117 Siesta Dr., near Southgate Mall. The new owner, who could not be reached for comment, purchased a small restaurant next door to the North Bridge Tavern, and renamed it the Sports Page Grill.

The original bar and liquor store in downtown Sarasota closed in April when a real estate developer demolished the building as apart of a future condominium project proposed on that site. The property was sold to developer Tom Mannausa in 2011. Sports Page Bar & Grille operated as the only bar with a liquor store attached to it in downtown Sarasota.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Manatee County’s first Longhorn Steakhouse will open Monday, Feb. 17, in Bradenton.

The casual dining chain demolished the former site of Los Cabos Mexican Restuarant at 4502 14th St. W., last year and built a new 6,445-square-foot, 240-seat Longhorn Steakhouse in its place. The restaurant will employ 120 people.

The chain is known for its seasoned steaks and American West theme. The chain operates 445 restaurants in 38 states.

The restaurant will host a ribbon cutting on Monday at 10 a.m. to celebrate the grand opening.

In 2011, Manatee County attempted to lure the chain to the Bradenton area by offering road impact fee incentives and set funds aside to reward job creation. The restaurant was supposed to open at the intersection of 14th Street West and Cortez Road, but never came to fruition.

The chain has two Sarasota locations, on South Tamiami Trail and on Fruitville Road, and a half dozen other restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.

Photo courtesy of Longhorn Steakhouse

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

A Lamborghini and Aston Martin greet shoppers when they enter the temporary venue. Art by students at Ringling College of Art and Design hang in a gallery inside the store.

Centro Della Moda will host events fashion events all month long, which are free and open to the public. The collection of stores are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5:30 p.m. throughout the month of February.

The Restoration Hardware space has sat vacant for nearly two years. The retailer, which struggled during the height of the recession, left the mall in September 2011 and the space has sat vacant ever since — despite being next to two of Southgate’s highest-performing tenants. It has hosted temporary spaces in the past before, including a pop-up Toys R Us Express store during the holiday season.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Taubman Centers released a rendering video of what the Mall at University Town Center will look like once the $315 million retail project is completed later this year. The 880,000-square-foot mall being developed by Manatee County-based Benderson Development and Taubman Centers will open in October.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

First Watch Restaurants will open a new location in North Port this summer.

The Bradenton-based chain, known for its breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, will open its 42nd store in Florida at 17739 S. Tamiami Trail, in the Benderson Development-owned Cocoplum Village. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant will occupy a freestanding outparcel building and feature an outdoor patio.

The North Port restaurant is the third First Watch to open in the coming months in Florida. New restaurants in Deerfield Beach and Sea Ranch Lakes are scheduled to open this spring.

“The First Watch brand has grown tremendously since we relocated our headquarters to Sarasota 27 years ago,” said Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer for First Watch. “It seems only natural that we continue to expand our presence and bring our unique offerings, fresh flavorful ingredients and relaxed atmosphere to the North Port community.”

The North Port restaurant will employ 25 people.

First Watch has expanded aggressively since being acquired by Los Angeles-based private-equity firm Freeman, Spogli & Co. in late 2011. The company operates more than 115 restaurants in 16 states. The chain also owns 20 restaurants under The Good Egg name in Arizona, bringing the total unit count to 137.

It is now the fastest-growing, daytime-only café chain in the U.S. In October 2012, it opened its 100th restaurant and has expanded into Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.